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The Relation of Landscape Architecture 

to the Public Schools 



AN ADDRESS before 

The National Convention of School Officials 

At DETROIT, MICHIGAN, JUNE, 1921 



By 



CHARLES E. GREENING 

it 

Consulting Architect, The Greening Landscape Company 
President - The Greening Nursery Company 



Copyright, 1922 

Title, Text and Illustrations 

All Rights Reserved. 

Price, $2.00 



Published by 

The Greening Nursery Company 
Monroe, Michigan 



.Cry 



"The little Red Schoolhouse has been rev- 
erently praised, as it should be. Praise also 
belongs to the log cabin, the flintlock musket, 
the corduroy road, and the one-horse shay. 
But our reverence for all of these can be best 
shown by installing them tenderly in muse- 
ums, while we endeavor, as the builders of 
those pioneer schools endeavored, to give the 
children a share in the best we have." 

Toledo Blade. 



NOV 22 1922 



Cl A691399 

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Forewor 



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OUR forebears in their effort to secure life, liberty and happiness were forced to use the materials 
at hand, which nature provided, and thus America's first schoolhouses were built of logs. 
In the course of time, however, conditions changed. The log houses were razed and in their 
stead came the period of the famed "Little Red Schoolhouse" which marked an epoch in American 
History. 

The little red school house and McGuffy Readers now live in memory's attic only. The automo- 
bile has replaced "Old Dobbin," and with it came new needs; new view-points and new ideas. 

Today the district schools are disappearing. In their stead is the consolidated, centralized school, 
modern in every respect. 

A few years ago, some nameless genius conceived the idea that school grounds properly planted 
with shrubs and trees indigenous to the region, would be an asset in the proper education of the young. 

And now come those, who have taught in schools properly beautified, saying: that in their 
experience this has an influence for good on all scholars attending them. 

The Landscape Department of the Greening Nursery Company of Monroe, Michigan, takes 
pleasure in calling attention of those interested in the work they have done in beautifying many 
schools in the middle west. 

So marked has been the benefit of these plantings, that Mr. Charles E. Greening, Consulting Archi- 
tect of our Landscape Department, was invited to talk on this subject before the National Convention of 
School Superintendents at Detroit in June, 1921. 

His address is so replete with ideas that we take pleasure in presenting you the speech in full and 
ask you to read it carefully and keep in mind the great truths presented. 

In addition we are showing some beautiful halftones made from recent photographs showing school 
grounds beautified by our Landscape Department. 

Letters from those who have had the opportunity to test this matter to their satisfaction are also 
printed, and we bespeak your careful reading of them in the hope that you will come to realize that 
environment has much to do in the proper training of the young — and that pupils who attend schools 
which are sanitary — ■ surrounded by properly planted grounds, will be better pupils, make better 
citizens, and as such will be greater assets in our country's future than those who have not had an equal 
opportunity. 

Members of School Boards and all others interested in the subject are invited to call on us or 
write for full information as regards our facilities and experience in this class of work. 

The Greening Nursery Company 
Monroe, Michigan 



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"TE IJ \\\\\\\\\\\(7Ao\\W\\\Gl^EENIIVG.\\ NUJ^SEJRJES MONHpE\WMlCHIGAJSf\ 




The Relation of Landscape Architecture 

to the Public Schools 



By 

Charles E. Qreening. 



"One impulse from a vernal wood, 
May teach you more of man, 
Of moral evil and of good 
Than all the sages can." 

So wrote Wordsworth long ago; so believes everybody today. "Back to Nature," 
is now the educational slogan. 

We know now that real education consists in knowing the things that touch our 
lives, the things of every day — the common things of our work and play. 

The best university education is merely an extension of the kindergarten idea. Men 
are but children of larger growth. 

In harmony with this idea, educational institutions everywhere are establishing School 
Gardens where the boys and girls become acquainted with the nature of flowers, trees, 
shrubs, and vegetables. This is a grand and splendid step forward. Some of the most 
progressive schools have gone a step further and established botanical gardens for the 
benefit of the study of natural science; so that within a small compass there is brought 
together a collection of trees, shrubs, and plants, on the School Grounds, that may be 
studied text book in hand, under the teacher's direction. 

BENEFITS DERIVED BY STUDENTS 

This method gives a far more intimate acquaintance with trees and plants and their 
habits than the old way of merely memorizing their names. A few schools have gone a 
step beyond this, and with the aid of text books and instructions received from Land- 
scape Architects, have laid out their own school grounds, securing at once the double pur- 
pose of beautification, and nature's study. It has been found that students with such sur- 
roundings are more submissive to discipline, and school attendance has become a delight, 
on this account, as well as a duty : whilst, above and beyond all this, the beautiful fact, that 



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Plate 1. 

East Intermediate School 

Jackson, Michigan. 

The treatment of these 
school grounds was consid- 
ered a problem for reasons of 
its high elevation and pro- 
nounced declivity. The school 
building is located 130 feet 
from the street line on an 
elevation of 25 feet above the 
level of the sidewalk in the 
street. The problem was 
happily solved by building 
two grass terraces and reliev- 
ing the appearances of the 
steep hill and effects of the 
terraces by means of careful 
landscape planting of shrubs, 
trees, evergreens, hedges, etc., 
producing a landscape effect 
claimed to be the most 
beautiful of any school 
ground in the state. The landscape development of these shows a result of three years from the 




Designed and Pfanfcd At/ the Landscape Dept 
otihtQrceuMgJfatservttoi Monroe XUA'- 



time of planting. 



Jackson, Mich., Feb. 21st, '21. 



Greening Nursery Co., 
Monroe, Michigan. 
Gentlemen : 



Replying to yours of Feb. 18th in reference to benefits derived from planting done around our 
schools, will say that the planting has made the grounds very beautiful and attractive, excites much 
favorable comment from all transients and a feeling of satisfaction to all of our residents. As to just 
what effect it has upon the individual pupil, I am not able to say, but of course, its influence is good. 
We like the arboretum plan you followed out in improving our grounds very much ; the best evidence 
of this is shown by the fact that we are just now improving another building site along similar lines. 

J. F. Forward, 
Superintendent of Buildings 

Board of Education. 



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young men and women, have become more responsive to social amenities. And so, it has 
come to pass that at last, the great truth is found, that it pays to plant trees, flowers and 
shrubs on the grounds of our public educational institutions, so that the student with such 
surroundings may be in close contact with the wonderful things in nature. 

A wonderful thing is a school garden. Its influence reflects character, moral and 
social uplift, community betterment, manhood and womanhood, higher ideals. 

Trees and plants are the living things that speak a message more educational, more 
elevating, more refining and interesting than all other subjects in creation. The study 
of trees and plants and the ministration to their needs and wants is most interesting. 

PLANTING OF CLASS AND MEMORIAL TREES 

The teaching of planting memorial trees for the men who fought the war, in our 
public schools, is now fully recognized and has become a most sacred patriotic duty. The 
Lincoln Highway Committee and many of the Women's Clubs of America are urging the 
use of Arbor Day for memorial tree planting, with the hope that every child would plant 
somewhere in America a tree as a symbol of a life given for humanity. As an example, 
we read in the papers that on April 30th memorial trees were planted on the grounds of 
the American Forestry Association at Washington, D. C, by Mrs. Warren G. Harding, 
and Mrs. McCormick, wife of the Senator from Illinois. 

ITS SOCIAL INFLUENCE 

The building of school landscape gardens consists of a process of fitting the grounds 
and planting it in an artistic manner for purposes of beauty. It means education along 
the lines of more beautiful homes, public grounds, parks, boulevards, playgrounds, 
factory grounds, etc. It means better social conditions and encourages the organization 
of Civic Improvement Societies, Garden and Nature Clubs. 

SCHOOL GROUNDS BOTANICAL GARDEN PLAN 

The landscape planting of school grounds, its composition of varieties of trees and 
plants, should consist of a botanical garden planting, or Arboretum. An Arboretum 
represents a botanical garden devoted to the cultivation of trees, shrubs, and plants, 
especially for scientific purposes. In planting a school Arboretum there should be a large 
collection of varieties in every kind of stock. The shrubs, perennial flowers, and roses 
should be planted in groups of three or more plants in an orderly and artistic manner. The 
varieties should be plainly marked by their botanical and common names for the purpose 
of scientific study, so that during flower time in the summer months, the teachers and 
students may assemble on the lawns of the school grounds and study in detail the char- 
acter and habits of flowers and plants. It thus provides a new, useful and fascinating study 
for the students to write essays, or short topics, on the subject of Nature's flowers and 
plants. The knowledge obtained in this manner during the early part of a child's life 
when their minds are most receptive, will never be forgotten. 



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Plate 8. 

Campus 
Pontiac High School. 

A beautiful expression of 
landscape art is here pre- 
sented. These grounds are 
pronounced by many to be 
the most beautiful laid out in 
point of tree and plant orna- 
mentation and splendid 
arrangement of walk system. 
It is planted on the Botanical 
Garden plan. The varieties 
are marked with both com- 
mon and botanical names. 
This is a feature of great 
educational value thus com- 
bining both "beauty and 
utility." 




Dexitlfi cdand Ran/of &y the LamtSMpc Opt 
of the (jmiiuiQ ,\tt/3trrt ft?. HonmeWdt 



Greening Nursery Company, March 29th, 1921 

Monroe, Michigan 

Gentlemen : 

We take pleasure in expressing our high appreciation of the landscape planting your company put 
in on the grounds of the Pontiac High School five years ago. 

In harmony with your arboretum idea of planting, the boys and girls of the Pontiac Schools may 
now become acquainted with the nature of flowers and trees. Our school ground as designed by your 
Mr. Chas. E. Greening is a great step forward in the study of nature as it gives intimate acquaintance 
with the plants and their habits, making school attendance more delightful and social amenities more 
responsive, thus happily combining art with science. You solved a most serious problem of terracing 
the steep hill of the school grounds, saving us a large item of expense. 

Yours very truly, 

R. Hazelton, Bus. Mgr., 

Board of Education, 

Pontiac, Michigan. 



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A study of our popular trees and plants in the schools, instead of the botany studies 
of wild flowers, which in most instances is of no value, soon forgotten and means but very 
little, whereas, the study of the things in nature, which are before us in our daily life, 
would mean something worth-while. 

The Three Important Factors in School Landscape 

Development. 

Three factors enter into the making of a school Landscape Garden. The Landscape 
Architect (or designer), the School Superintendent of Grounds and Buildings, and the 
Gardener in care of the Grounds. The trinity must work in harmony to produce satis- 
factory results. 

FIRST: THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT should be a man of practical exper- 
ience and artistic skill. He should have a thorough knowledge of all the landscape work 
to be undertaken and be familiar with the character and habits of all the trees and plants 
to be specified on the planting list. He must be a good planter, a man of ability and 
experience to handle men efficiently and directing all the construction work of the grounds, 
walks, drives, lawns, planting, pruning, drainage, etc. He should be a real gardener, not 
one with wheels in his head, liable to make costly mistakes. In the care of the garden he 
should have a knowledge of soils, fertilizing, cultivation, irrigation, spraying for insects 
in a careful and systematic manner. If such a man can be secured, he should be retained 
to direct the garden work in later years by occasionally inspecting the grounds to give 
the necessary instructions for the entire season's work. 

SECONDLY : THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT of Grounds and Build- 
ings must necessarily be a man who would take an active interest in personally supervis- 
ing all the work, improvements and changes of lawns, gardens, buildings, and play- 
grounds. He must work in unity with the Landscape Architect. If he happens to be a 
practical and experienced gardener — which is rarely ever the case in men holding such an 
office — you will have gained a great point, and it is just possible that your School Garden 
would then become a thing of beauty admired by everybody. Much of the success of the 
School Garden may be attributed to the personal interest taken by the Superintendent. 

LASTLY: A GARDENER should be found who has had some practical exper- 
ience in garden work, is honest and dependable, and who would take a real pride in the 
success of the garden work. Inasmuch as school gardening is of a technical nature only 
men you can trust should be employed. Serious mistakes are constantly made in the 
employment of cheap and incompetent so-called gardeners with little or no practical 
experience. Garden work must be done at the right time and in the right way. 

To summarize, it is important that the three factors must necessarily work harmon- 
iously together to avoid disappointing results, so that one may not shift the blame 
of mistakes, or neglect on the other. 




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Plate 3. 
A Wealth of Beauty 

Jackson Intermediate 
School 

Who can put a price on 
the value of this school land- 
scape development? The pic- 
ture shows a side view taken 
from the top of a hill look- 
ing down towards the street. 
The expedient was used of 
planting carefully selected 
flowers, shrubs, dwarf trees, 
evergreens, etc., to relieve the 
steepness of the hill side and 
give beauty and character to 
the magnificent structure. 
This view shows only a small 
section of the grounds. The 
play grounds are in the rear. 
Thousands of shrubs, flowers 
and trees are planted on the 
Botanical Garden idea plan, 
representing a wonderful 
educational feature in the 
study of trees and plants for 
teachers and pupils to gather 
on the lawn, text book in 
hand, studying the beauty of foliage and flower and the gradual development of the many varieties of trees and plants 
arranged in an artistic and orderly manner, a pleasure and delight to students and teachers. 




Plate 4. 

High School 

With 

Beautiful Surroundings 

The features of this school 
ground are the colonial senti- 
nel trees of evergreens, the 
flowering shrubs of selected 
varieties gracefully blending 
into the green open lawn in 
a soft vignette, the graceful 
drooping tree, and beautiful 
vista of the landscape. The 
influence such a school garden 
carries to the students and 
pupils is most pleasing and 
refining in its character. The 
landscape architect and school 
board have worked together 
in harmony to produce the 
effect shown in the landscape 
and school building. The 
funds required for landscap- 
ing was one of the items 
considered by the school at 
the beginning and proved a 
very good investment as the 
picture will portray. 




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Make best use of Lot. 

When planting a School Ground make sure to get the best use of the lot. The 
grounds should be large enough to provide ample room for playgrounds and athletic field, 
with all the needed requirements and equipment. Where the grounds are small, or 
crowded, special playgrounds should be provided for, as near the School Grounds as 
possible. In order to make it possible to convert a school ground into a place of cultivated 
garden beauty, the frontage of the property should have a sufficient space for open lawn 
and beautiful garden planting of hardy shrubs, trees, evergreens, plants, hedges, etc., so 
as to give the landscape an effect of sheltering warm in the winter and restful shade in 
the summer, in a manner to comport with the general aspect of an artistic landscape. 

On the side of the playgrounds shade trees should be planted all along the border, if 
possible informally, except for the space reserved for the playgrounds. The planting of 
both sides and rear should consist of a mass planting of hardy shrubs and trees on the 
Arboretum plan for study and beauty, artistically and informally arranged. 



Landscape and Building Architects should work 
together at the beginning. 

Since everything on the school grounds must be done under the idea of permanency, 
beauty, and utility, it stands to reason that it is advisable to engage the services of an 
experienced Landscape Architect at the beginning, even before the plans are drawn, so 
that the Building Architect and Landscape Architect may work together and plan out a 
building that would be in strict keeping with the economical use of the ground space pro- 
viding ample space for playgrounds and landscape planting. Serious mistakes are often 
made in not locating the building on the proper spot of the school site, often on account of 
the common practice of building architects not taking into consideration the proper use of 
the grounds intended for decorative, or recreation purposes. It should be understood that 
the training of a landscape architect is upon entirely different lines than that of the 
Building Architect, requiring a thorough knowledge of trees and plants, their adapta- 
bility and hardiness, as the success of a beautifully laid out Landscape School depends 
entirely upon the artistic temperament, ability and experience of the Landscape Architect. 
If it is done properly, and artistically, it will mean something: if only partly done it will 
express no special meaning. It costs no more to do things in the right way than in the 
wrong, and in most instances considerably less. It is important that a Landscape Archi- 
tect be engaged, even before the building plans are completed, in order to get an estimate 
of the cost of landscape improvements, and also that the two Architects may work har- 
moniously together for best results. A great mistake is invariably made at the begin- 
ning when no provisions are made for setting aside a certain sum of money for outdoor 
decoration. 



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Plate 5. 

Effective Ornamental 

Planting of School 

Grounds. 

This view illustrates a 
beautiful example of the 
treatment of the entrance of 
a school building. The fea- 
tures of landscape planting 
are the hedges, evergreens, 
shrubs, trees, and the wide 
winding walks. 



«s^^sa 



Plate 7. 

Artistic Park Treatment 

of Spacious School 

Grounds. 

"A rare sylvan scene — 
A woody theater of 
stateliest view" 

— Milton 

This is a sylvan scene of 
great beauty at Scott High, 
Toledo, Ohio. Trees in this 
instance give certain shadow 
effects that help to diversify 
the landscape. Even the 
transient glory of the clouds 
shown in the picture enliven 
the landscape and their fleecy 
outline make quick moving 
pictures that are pleasing to 
the eye, to anyone who 
appreciates the wonders and 
mysteries of nature. 




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^ BlIllllllllllllllllllllll^PlN 




Basic principles of School Landscape Planting. 

The perfection of a School Garden lies in its power to create an unbroken continuity 
of pleasurable emotions. Art exists by expression and for the sake of expression. It 
expresses, states and shades of feeling, and states and shades of thought. Our aim should 
be to make a picture of the buildings and grounds. After determining these things we pro- 
ceed to accomplish them with the proper collection of trees and plants harmoniously 
arranged. Let the buildings be the central feature and subordinate every other feature to 
it. Mass your plantings in a strong frame work to give structural characters to the grounds, 
soften the cold architectural lines of the building by planting graceful shrubs of sizes suit- 
able not to obstruct light from entering the building. In order to create a garden, alive 
with emotion, we will plant some Evergreens of suitable size and character for all-year 
round effect. Walks and drives should be conveniently located, ample in width and of 
substantial character. If the character of the soil is heavy, dig out to a depth of two feet 
and replace with lighter soil, suitable for promoting a good growth of shrubs, flowers, and 
trees. Use only good fertile soil for the places where shrubs and flowers are to be planted, 
apply a liberal covering of well rotted manure after planting, to give fertility to the 
soil and to serve as a mulch. Cultivate thoroughly with hoe during the entire summer 
months, especially the first season. Irrigate in dry times after planting, by giving a thor- 
ough soaking once a week and not just a light sprinkling. The lawn in order to have a 
beautiful greensward should be sprinkled constantly in a dry time when there is but little 
rainfall. Hydrants and hose connection faucets should be located conveniently and in suf- 
ficient number not to make it necessary to drag a heavy hose over the lawn. Proper under- 
drainage is most important, especially on level, sticky soils. 

My Experience with Schools. 

Having made plain some of the fundamental basic principles regarding the relation 
of Landscape Garden for schools and having at times permitted a slight digression from 
the theme in order to throw an incidental side-light on points that otherwise would not be 
clear, I would beg your indulgence in relating briefly some of my experiences with schools 
in order to show that the study of trees and flowers will gradually find its way into the 
schools, and, that the study of the beautiful things in nature is not only most interesting 
and fascinating, but is eagerly and enthusiastically sought for and enjoyed by the school 
children. 

Nature's study taken up by Schools. 

Agriculture and Horticulture is now being taught in many of our high grade schools. 
A movement is now on foot where the study of Landscape Gardening will be taken up in 
all the larger schools of this State in the near future. There is a great lack of knowledge 
in Landscape Gardening for reasons that less than one per cent of the students attending 
the Universities and Agricultural Colleges are taking up the study of Landscape Garden- 



(13) 




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Plate 2. 

Beauty Corner 
Pontiac High School. 

The landscape treatment 
of a recess in lawn in front 
of the school building shown 
on the picture, illustrates a 
beautiful well-balanced orna- 
mental planting of a colony 
of evergreens, vines on the 
building, shrubs and a weep- 
ing mulberry tree, softening 
the structural harshness of 
the brick wall. This plant- 
ing is truly artistic and inter- 
esting to public, teachers and 
students, and highly educa- 
tional in its character. 



Pi_av Grounjds 



Ifta^ TRtes 
Tffli»T<^>2£ H e p o e 



LAYOUT « PLANTING 5USGESTIONS 

rog 

LESS THAN AN ACRB'SCHOOL GROUNDS 



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MONROt M1CHIOAM 




*&£L 



Layout and Planting Suggestions for Less Than an Acre School Grounds 

Designed by 
THE GREENING LANDSCAPE CO. 
Monroe - • Michigan. 



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ing. The lure of abnormal industrial activities in the large cities during war time and 
since the close of the year, has completely turned the heads of our young men and women 
from the things beautiful in nature. Away from the farm and home, away from the 
haven of happiness and independence. Fortunately they are coming back; most of them, 
thank God, are back already. 

Many School Grounds Neglected. 

It is a sad fact indeed to find so many of our American School Grounds in a neglected 
condition, and it is still more deplorable to know that over eighty per cent of our Public 
School Grounds have no landscape embellishment at all. 

Examples Giving Results of School Landscaping. 

About six years ago I planted in the City of Hillsdale, Michigan, six school grounds; 
one of these grounds being situated in a locality consisting largely of people of foreign 
birth. I was informed that this school had the roughest element of boys and girls of any 
school in the City, and that nothing in the way of beautiful things and gardens was safe 
from destruction anywhere in the neighborhood of the school. When I began planting this 
school the boys considered it fun to jump over the beds to see how near they could get to 
the plants without hitting them. From the expression of their faces they seemed to con- 
sider the operation of planting the school yard to shrubs and trees, a sort of a joke. On the 
second day, I called an assembly of the boys and girls in front of the school and 
explained to them in a pleasing talk that they were to have the most beautiful school yard 
in the City. They were told that class beds would be assigned to the different classes of the 
school to guard and care for, that the plants would be marked with the names of plants 
and that the entire garden would be entrusted to their care. I was informed later that 
as a result of the little talk I gave them they became deeply interested in the study of the 
shrubs and plants on the ground, that better order prevailed, and that the entire discipline 
of the school was changed. They seemed to take much pride in their respective garden 
assignments and woe betide any one who would injure the plants or flowers. The flowers 
were used to decorate the school room. The lesson taught had its lasting effects, higher 
ideals were established and they became not only better students, but better citizens. 

About four weeks ago I gave an address on City Planning in the City of South Haven 
under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce. On the morning of my arrival I was 
requested by the Superintendent of Schools to talk to an assembly of the Senior Class 
of the High School on the subject of Landscape Gardening and Home Beautification. The 
students exhibited the deepest interest, and th applause was most enthusiastic. At the close 
of my talk I was requested to address the Junior Class, assembled in another hall, consist- 
ing of several hundred boys and girls. After speaking for thirty minutes we left the hall 
under a tremendous applause. We went into a side room to get our hats and coats and 
when we returned they were still applauding, and did not cease applauding until we had 



(15) 




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^HIIIHIta^gAYAfglll^ 




Plate 10. 

Semi-Formal Landscape 

Treatment of 

School Grounds. 

We show here the main 
entrance of West Intermedi- 
ate School, Jackson, taken 
after three years growth. 
Note the rose bed at base of 
flag staff. It has been 
reported that these flowers 
were never molested and 
that the children have never 
abused the trees or flowers or 
destroyed them. We find 
without an exception that 
where gardens have been 
planted that boys and girls 
regard themselves as especial 
conservators of the school 
garden. 




Layout and Planting Suggestions for Three Acre School Grounds 
Designed by THE GREENING LANDSCAPE CO., Monroe, Michigan. 

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SliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH^ iiiiiiiuiiB Jiiij 



left the building. On the evening of the same day and in the morning following, while 
strolling about the City I was greeted everywhere by the boys and girls, and in each case 
they manifested their deepest interest in what I had told them on the subject of Home 
Beautification. 

Germany Teaches Horticulture in Schools. 

I could relate many instances similar to the one at South Haven, but my interest 
was never centered so deeply on the subject of what the influence of the study of trees and 
plants meant to the children of Europe, until I visited some of their own home gardens. 
The boys and girls had their little gardens of flowers with trees propagated, grafted, and 
cared for by their own hands, starting them from the seed, giving them careful attention 
until the plants and trees were developed to a suitable size for planting in the garden. The 
expressions made by the boys and girls were about as follows : "Come out and look at our 
garden; this is our cherry tree; this is our prune tree, and these are our flowers." 

The art of propagating, grafting and the study of plants and trees had been taught to 
them in the schools by their teachers, and their little gardens provided for them a pleasure, 
unexcelled. It is hoped that America will follow the example of our European friends 
by establishing propagating gardens on our American School Grounds for similar scientific 
study. 

School Arboretum Plan commented upon. 

In a letter received recently from Mr. J. F. Forward, Superintendent of Buildings, 
Board of Education, Jackson, Michigan, he mentions among other things that they are 
very much pleased with the Arboretum plan we followed out in improving the school 
grounds; the best evidence of this is shown by the fact that they are now improving other 
school building sites along similar lines. The grounds are not only beautiful but very 
interesting from an educational standpoint. 

Let the spirit of more beautiful School Grounds take possession of our hearts and 
souls. Let our School Gardens have the precious things that ennoble life, draw us nearer 
to nature, give a sparkle to the eye and a smile upon the lip. The influence of such 
gardens is most refining. 



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Layout and Planting Suggestions for Twelve Acre School Grounds 

Designed by 

THE GREENING LANDSCAPE CO., Monroe, Michigan. 



Greening Nursery Company, 
Monroe, Michigan. 



Georgetown, Illinois, 

October 26th, 1921. 



Gentlemen: 

In regard to the landscape development you did on our High School Grounds in the spring of 1920 
will say that the plan of development, the nursery stock and the planting of same, were all highly satis- 
factory. Our students in Botanical and Agricultural work are now deriving much benefit from the 
shrubs and trees. Our school grounds are fast becoming the beauty spot of our little city and pointed 
out to visitors with pride. We feel that we have been amply repaid in having experts supervise the plan 
and the entire work. 

Yours, 

Dr. M. S. Fletcher, 

Former Pres. of Bd. of Education. 



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Mount Pleasant Public Schools 

G. E. Ganiard, Superintendent 
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 



R. E. Cheney 
High School Prin. 

Greening Nursery Co. 
Monroe, Michigan 
Gentlemen : 



October 24, 1921 



You are certainly deserving of commendation for the very excellent plans you made 
for landscaping the grounds around our high school, and for the splendid stock you sent 
us. I never dreamed plants could do so well in one year. It is unusual to get immediate 
effect from landscape planting, but people who see our grounds conclude they must have 
been planted two or three years ago. 

Beautiful grounds have just as much educational value as good interior decoration. 
In fact, a beautiful exterior is enjoyed not only by pupils attending school but by the whole 
community. Since you planted our grounds, hundreds of our citizens have taken steps 
toward beautifying their home surroundings. In this way the school has led in a com- 
mendable civic enterprise. 

I suggested that our plans should include several native plants. These plants we 
find very valuable in connection with our work in Natural Science. It is easy to obtain 
specimens for class room work and to study the habits and life history of a great variety of 
plants. 

You would certainly be doing a splendid service to Michigan and surrounding states 
if you would make a special effort to induce school authorities to become interested in 
beautifying their grounds. 

Yours truly, 

(Signed) G. E. Gainard, 

Superintendent. 



(19) 



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Plate 9. 

Grade School 
Landscaping. 

We have here a simple 
treatment of a small school 
ground converting the open 
space in front of the building 
into a garden of beauty at a 
very small outlay. 




Plate 11. 

Rose Garden at 
Entrance to School. 

"The love of roses is 
innate in man, literature, his- 
tory, philosophy, poetry and 
song, enshrines the glory of 
the rose and right royally she 
crowns herself with a gar- 
land of her own weaving." 

The variety of roses used 
in this planting is known as 
Gruss en Teplitz possessing 
qualities of constant ever- 
blooming from June till 
frost, with beautiful bronze 
green heavy ornamental foli- 
age, distinctively attractive. 
This rose belongs to the 
Hybrid Tea type and requires 
a covering of straw or ever- 
green bows for protection 
during the winter. Color of 
flower, fiery red. 

We illustrate here an example of a wide walk for main entrance with structural features of drinking fountain and 
flag staff. There are small clumps of individual dwarf bushy evergreens shown at the edges of the walk. The hedges 
define the walk and lawn and prevent in a way encroachment of pupils on the lawn. 

(20) 




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Board of Education, Hillsdale, Michigan 



Mr. Charles E. Greening August, 23, 1910 

Monroe, Michigan. 

Dear Sir: 

The trees and shrubs you planted for us in November, 1909, are doing nicely, and 
although we expected to get but little good out of them the first year, yet the places where 
they have been planted are the beauty spots of the town, and the elegant appearance of the 
school grounds has attracted the attention of nearly every stranger who comes here. I 
would not have thought it possible to make such a change in the appearance of school 
grounds as has been accomplished in the past year. 

Another thing that has been especially noticeable is the fact that at all of the build- 
ings, the pupils have shown a pride in the appearance of the grounds and instead of being 
destructive as we feared, they have rather aided in keeping the grounds in a neat 
condition. 

The teachers find the combination of shrubs a help in their nature studies. As you 
know, we have a course in Agriculture, and the instructor has used the shrubs to furnish 
examples in layering and other things relating to the technique of plant growth, and to 
illustrate the value of insecticides and the use of sprays. 

This being a town which has no public parks, the town itself being a park, the 
school grounds have been parks, and all during the vacation weeks there are lots of visi- 
tors who show the greatest interest in the beautifying of the grounds, although not other- 
wise interested in the schools. 

Taking it all-in-all, I think it was one of the best investments we ever made when 
we got you to make out a plan for beautifying the school grounds, as the beauty grows 
from year to year, and by having a plan for the work, it makes no difference whether the 
membership of the board changes every year or not. The work can be continued each 
year, or if circumstances require, some work can be done one year and continued after a 
lapse of several years, as your way of doing the work by groups makes it possible to do 
a little bit at a time and always have something that shows up well. 

Very truly yours, 

Bion Whelan 

Sec'y- Board of Education 



(21) 




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Plate 17. 

School Garden 
of Great Beauty. 

This picture illustrates a 
blending of formal and 
informal landscape planting. 
The open grass lawn, the 
trees shrubs, hedges, and 
vines give contrasts that are 
most agreeable and pleasing 
to the eye. Winding walks 
connect the entrance through- 
out the spacious park campus 
to the right. 



Plate 12. 

Pleasing 

Foundation Treatment 

of School Wall. 

The picture shows a cor- 
ner of a school beautifully 
treated by landscape planting 
to screen the bare brick walls. 
Note, the colonial shaped 
trees with branches reaching 
to the ground, also the ever- 
greens, climbers and dwarf 
shrubs. The hedge defines 
the border line of the lawn 
and walk producing a beauti- 
ful picture with the building 
as the central feature. Child- 
ren do not encroach on the 
lawn, thus artistically 
treated. Students with such 
surroundings are more sub- 
missive to discipline and 
school attendance becomes a 
delight. 




(22) 



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About the "Landscape Seruice 



of 



Qrie Queening Nursery Company. 



Over twenty-five years ago, Mr. Chas. E. Greening, President of the Greening 
Nursery Company, which was established in 1850, begun a Department devoted to 
Landscape Architecture. 

From its inception, skilled service to our patrons was insisted on. Therefore, from 
the beginning only Landscape Architects of highest qualifications and professional stand- 
ing were chosen as associates. 

The years have come and gone. The designs and subsequent plantings made by our 
company have been maturing, so that now we have examples of our work throughout the 
country, and those who wish landscape work for home, estate, park, cemetery, school, 
church or suburban development, may see and enjoy the fruits of our service. 

Our architects and designers have the advantage of unexcelled stock of specimen 
size which is reserved for them by us. 

Our clients may have the advantage of this stock if they choose to do so or they may 
procure plans and lay-outs only. 

But our customers will find it an advantage to get the trinity of service we have to 
offer, thus securing at one and the same time at the minimum of cost and time — our skilled 
designs — our experience; and our unexcelled service. 

THE GREENING NURSERY COMPANY 
MONROE, MICH. 



(23) 



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Plate 6. 

Scott High School, Toledo, Ohio. 

The strength of this picture lies in the open lawn and its magnificent back ground 
of shrubbery and trees giving floral embellishment to one of the most beautiful and 
largest school buildings in Ohio. The beauty of the school building is caught through 
the rift of foliage of the stately maple and elm trees informally planted in groups. 



(24) 



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Plate 13. 

Entrance to Grade School. 

A picture full of animation. No matter how small a 
school ground may be there is always room for some vines 
on the wall, some shrubs along the foundation, some trees 
along the roadside, or some flowers or plants in tubs placed 
on the steps at the entrance. 





Plate 19. 

Landscape Treatment of 
Small School Grounds. 

The little school with its 
traditions and history can be 
made just as beautiful in its 
way as the magnificent struc- 
tures of the large schools. 
The influence it conveys with 
its landscape embellishment is 
the same. Many of our men 
of national fame received 
their early education in the 
small country school. 



(25) 




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Layout and Planting Suggestions for Five Acre School Grounds 

Designed by 
THE GREENING LANDSCAPE CO., Monroe, Michigan. 



(26) 



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Plate 14. 

Sad Condition of Largest High School Grounds in Michigan 

After Eleven Years. 

This school campus comprising nearly twenty acres is situated in the very heart of the resident section of the largest 
city in Michigan. There are three large school buildings on the grounds erected during the past eleven years. 

What a pity to educate children in such surroundings. The grounds are illkept and the evidence of neglect is every- 
where to be seen. Only a few scattered groups of shrubs and trees planted without regard to expression of beauty and 
character are discernable. A cannon, an instrument of destruction, instead of flowers or trees with their refining influ- 
ences, is its central feature, boldly displayed on these spacious school grounds. The old slogan, "I didn't raise my boy to 
be a soldier" should apply here. 

What a wonderful opportunity has been overlooked for an educational Botanical Garden Planting on these grounds, 
artistically laid out with the names of varieties marked for the study of flowers and plants securing at once the purpose 
of beautification and nature study. 

The purpose of a school is to bring every influence to bear on the teaching of moral and community uplift, character, 
manhood, womanhood, and higher ideals so that the pupil may become better fitted to master the problems of everyday 
life. The influence of a beautiful landscape school ground is refining, elevating, educational and incentive for more 
beautiful homes. The truth is now out that it pays to educate children to become more interested in the things that 
ennoble life and draw us nearer to nature. 



(27) 



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Layout and Planting Suggestions for One Acre School Grounds 

Designed by 

THE GREENING LANDSCAPE CO. 

Monroe - * Michigan. 



(28) 




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Plate 15. 

Pontiac High School 
and Campus. 

The picture shows the 
frontage of the magnificent 
school building and a small 
section of the campus. The 
beautiful park facing the 
front of the building covers 
nearly five acres. At the rear 
of the building are the Ath- 
letic grounds. The land- 
scape improvement of these 
grounds were designed and 
developed under the direction 
of an experienced architect. 
They are arranged on the 
Arboretum plan for the study 
of flowers and trees such as 
we come in contact with in 
our everyday life. 



School Garden Responsible for^Better Discipline of Unruly Grade School. 




Plate 20. 

This school located at 
Hillsdale, Michigan was gen- 
erally considered to have the 
most unruly and destructive 
pupils in the city. During 
the process of laying out and 
planting the school grounds, 
the boys regarded the plant- 
ing of flower beds as sort of 
a joke. After the planting 
was completed the writer 
called an assembly of the 
boys and girls in front of the 
school and gave them a pleas- 
ing flower talk explaining the 
purpose of the landscape 
improvements. A bed of 
shrubs and flowers was 
assigned to each of the 
classes of the school to guard 
and care for. They immedi- 
ately became interested in 
the study of plants and trees, 
order of the school yard 
was restored, the entire 

discipline was changed, and pride for the beautiful took possession of their hearts. The inception of higher ideals came 
to this school with the love they cultivated for the flowers making better students and better citizens. Let us contrast 
such a school yard with the thousands of grade and high school grounds to be found throughout the country without a 
single tree, shrub or plant. 

(29) 



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up the simple composition of landscape decoration so as not to shut out the light of the windows. 



Plate 16. 

Treatment of 
Narrow Space. 

We show here a real study 
of clever landscape treatment 
of narrow space between the 
sidewalk and the foundation 
wall of the school building. 
In this case, the architect of 
the school building made the 
mistake of constructing the 
foundation rough wall requir- 
ing a ground fill of four feet 
in heighth above the ground 
level of the walk in the street. 
To overcome this defect a 
grass terrace was built to 
cover the rough wall reach- 
ing up close to the windows. 
The work of the landscape 
architect in this case in 
establishing the grass terrace 
planting, evergreens, of pyra- 
midal form, vines to soften 
the effects of the brick walls 
and a Barberry hedge make 



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Plate 18. 

School Built on 
a Hill 

The view shows a large 
high school building located 
on a hill with an elevation of 
25 feet from street level. The 
features of landscape treat- 
ment consists of two grass 
terraces, a seventy foot grass 
plaza extending across the 
entire frontage with gradual 
slope ; and an artistic setting 
of trees, shrubs, hedges, and 
plants carefully selected as a 
means of effectively relieving 
the appearances of the high 
elevation, giving character 
and landscape beauty that are 
much admired by all who pass 
or enter the school. 



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(30) 



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